


Unauthorized Field Trip

by MegaeraVanbure



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: F/M, Female Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Shall We Date?: Obey Me! Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:34:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22950304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegaeraVanbure/pseuds/MegaeraVanbure
Summary: WARNING: SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 20 AHEAD IN SUMMARY!!!..................This is a gift fic for a dear friend featuring her Main Character, Meredia, in a theoretical post-Chapter 20.A month has passed since Meredia has returned to the world of humans after her year in the Devildom. Little does she know that today is not going to be as mundane and half-empty as the past few weeks have been...
Relationships: Lucifer/Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Main Character/Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 43





	1. One Month Later...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Valunoxa_Mythal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valunoxa_Mythal/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been a month since Meredia returned from her time in the Devildom. In her absence, it seems life is more chaotic than usual...

The young woman hums to herself cheerfully as she picks up the playroom, carefully wiping down surfaces and putting each piece of the scattered toys back where they belong. A dozen preschoolers napping in the adjacent room snuffle and giggle quietly amongst themselves and she shakes her head in an exaggerated gesture. With a flip of her hair, she tosses it out of her way while reaching for the broom leaning in the corner of the room. Her hair rustles as it moves over the tight braids to either side of her scalp. The light from the half-shaded window catches the flame of her hair, setting it alight with the afternoon sun and bringing it to a life of its own. The children fall quiet as she begins sweeping in the doorway, pretending she hasn't heard them. She knows that if she stays in sight long enough, they'll behave themselves and fall asleep naturally like they always do.

The humming drifts to silence as she sweeps, thoughts beginning to stray from the task. Though she has been home for a month now, she still has this occasional ache in her heart that her old life--so easy to fall back into despite the year of absence--can't seem to fill. _Get a hold of yourself, Meredia,_ she chastises silently, biting her lower lip at the thought. _You knew it would end eventually. You have to move on._ With a soft sigh, she realizes that she has stopped her work entirely, one hand grasping at the brooch pendant she wears on a delicate chain. She lifts the pendant by its chain, watching the midnight stone spin in the dappled light for a moment before letting it fall back to her chest. "Back to work."

She spins on her heel, lifting the broom to pick up where she left off, only to nearly trip over a small child. With a startled squeak, she stumbles to the side, balancing herself with the outstretched broom to keep from falling. The little girl looks up at her, sleepily rubbing an eye as she tugs on the woman's skirt. "Potty?" she asks, and Meredia chuckles softly to herself, smiling warmly and reaching out a hand to the child without a word to lead the way.

*********************************************************

Lucifer drops heavily into his study chair, elbows propping on the desktop before he lowers his face into his gloved hands. He drags his hands roughly down his face while closing his eyes to take a long, steadying breath. Fingers steepled before his face, he slowly exhales before finally opening his eyes. _This_ , he muses _, has probably been the longest month of my life._ Being alive as long as he has, that certainly speaks volumes for the state of the House of Lamentation these past weeks and his ability--or lack thereof--to keep order.

In the past week alone, he has been forced to remodel the kitchen (again), ban text messaging (again--it still did nothing), confiscate all six brothers' DDDs, pay an exorbitant amount of money to The Fall for both damaged and stolen property, put out approximately six Student Council fires (most caused by the members themselves), break up four fights between his various brothers, and bribe three witches to leave his brothers (Asmodeus and Mammon) alone to keep the peace. Ruby eyes drop to the paperwork in front of him, and he gives a weary sigh. No, the week isn't over yet. There is still more he needs to do. Resigned, he picks up his pen and begins to write.

**********************************************************

"I'm sorry, Lucifer, but this just can't wait." Lord Diavolo combs a hand through his messy hair, shaking his head slowly. "And I wouldn't trust this task with someone else. You know it's too important." He gives a sheepish grin, laughing cheerfully. "Do you really want me asking someone else to go up there for me?" His hand lifts to quiet the Avatar of Pride before he can retort. "And don't suggest Barbados. I need him here, and he wouldn't know where to go like you do. No, it has to be you. Today."

Lucifer whets his lips before bowing his head in acquiescence. "Of course, you're right. I just hate to leave my brothers to themselves right now," he admits with a small shake of his head that sends his wavy locks bouncing. "They have been more than a handful these past weeks." The demon's cheeks blaze red in shame, knowing how much trouble their various antics have caused Lord Diavolo recently. "I honestly don't know what to do with them." The frank admission is difficult for him, but standing before Diavolo makes him feel more at ease than he would otherwise behave, and right now he can use that reassurance.

The Demon Lord smirks at the unguarded expression on his most trusted friend's features, moving to throw an arm over the other man's shoulders. "Yes, well, can you really blame them for being upset, Lu?" Lucifer's lips twitch faintly at the nickname, but he shakes his head in response. "Now, don't worry about them so much. They'll readjust eventually, and no permanent damage has been done. They could probably do with a day unsupervised."

"I can only imagine the fires I will have to put out upon my return," the black-haired demon says grimly.

Diavolo gives his friend's shoulder a light squeeze before removing his arm and chuckling softly. "It won't be all that bad. You could do with some respite, too, you know," he adds with a twinkle in his eye.

Ruby eyes narrow, lips pursed in understanding. "Ah. You planned this."

"I did," the dark-skinned demon admits with a chortle. "Now go."

Lucifer gives a deep bow, an amused expression fleeting on his features as he admits defeat. "As you wish."

~*~*~*~*~

Mammon mutters under his breath as he adjusts his uniform to try to look _somewhat_ presentable. He checks his pockets a third time, just to make sure he hasn't forgotten _something_ hidden there he could be caught with. He isn't sure _why_ Diavolo sent Barbados to fetch him or why he needs to meet with the Demon Lord himself _now_ of all times, but like hell if he'll let himself get caught when he has time to actually get rid of any evidence! Standing before the door, he gives himself a final once over before raising a fist to knock--and stops with knuckles inches from the door, catching the carrying voices from within.

"--can you really blame them for being upset, Lu?" The white-haired demon starts, eyes going wide at the name. _FUCKING LUCIFER'S IN THERE?!? Shit! What am I getting called out on this_ _time?_ There's a brief pause from within, and then, "Now, don't worry about them so much. They'll readjust eventually, and no permanent damage has been done. They could probably do with a day unsupervised." Mammon lowers his hand at that, shaking his head in wonder. _A day unsupervised? Diavolo is sending Lucifer away?_ This is perfect! The Avatar of Greed grins, eyes already sparkling with the hustles he could pull off while his eldest brother wasn't there to nose in on his schemes.

"I can only imagine the fires I will have to put out upon my return." Mammon resists the urge to chuckle at that. _Not if I don't get caught,_ he preens to himself, certain he can keep out of trouble this time. This is probably the best news he's heard all month! His palms rub together as he gets lost in thought, but the next words bring him out again.

"It won't be all that bad. You could do with some respite, too, you know." Now he can only roll his eyes. _Boy could he. Stick-up-his-ass, take a vacation, even for a day? Not likely._ This thought darkens his good mood. Whatever this errand is, Lucifer will still be somewhere in the Devildom. He'll return eventually, maybe even sooner than intended if he catches wind of anything. Diavolo should know that. Unless...

"Ah. You planned this." Mammon blinks. _Planned? What would Diavolo plan that would get Lucifer off his brothers' backs for a day and give him a vacation?_ It doesn't make any sense to him, and he shifts his weight as he considers.

"I did. Now go." _Shit. Double shit! If he catches me lurking out he--_ the Avatar of Greed cuts his own thoughts off, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand. Eyes wide, he bolts down the hall and turns a corner towards what he hopes are empty classrooms at this hour. The door to Diavolo's office creaks open and then bangs shut just as he pulls open a door and ducks inside. The faint click-tap of Lucifer's shoes echoes down the stone corridors and soon fades entirely. Mammon bends over double, finally letting out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

After a few deep breaths, he leans a hand against the closed door. With a grunt, he throws it open and marches his way back to Diavolo's office. There are no longer voices, and instead of knocking, Mammon merely throws the door open and steps in, an angry question cut short on his lips as Diavolo looks up at him with a grin. "Well? What are you waiting for? He'll probably be leaving within the hour. That portal won't stay open with his authorizations for long, you know." Dumbfounded, Mammon just blinks at the Demon Lord for a moment, mouth agape. Comprehension slowly lights his eyes and he turns to bolt out the door without even a goodbye. Diavolo's throaty laughter follows his pounding footsteps down the hall.


	2. Where Do I Go Now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When figuring out which way to go, it's usually important to know where you're going, first...

Naptime is almost over at the daycare. A few of the more restless children already sit on their cots, legs swinging, little voices struggling to keep quiet enough to keep from disturbing others. They're going to fail, of course; they always do. But at least they know they have to try. Meredia uses the last few minutes of quiet to start pulling out the art supplies. It is as she begins laying out the brown paper that will serve as a drop cloth on the table that the back entrance swings open, hitting the wall with a dull _> thunk_<. "Sorry!" The girl who drops her handbag on the floor as she gently kicks the door shut seems to realize just how loud she'd said that, and immediately hisses the word again, in a whisper this time. "Sorry..." She gives a sheepish smile, tucking a golden curl behind her ear. "I meant to get here an hour ago, I swear," she supplies, shaking her head. "Oh, here, lemme help with that."

As the woman moves to grab the other end of the roll and hold it in place, Meredia laughs softly, shaking her head. "You always mean to get here earlier, Cyn," she can't hide her soft smirk at the nickname everyone uses for Cynthia. "It's fine. Naptime's always quiet; you know that." She rolls the tube of paper along the table and tears it off carefully so that it rolls over the edge to keep it in place better. "There we go. Wanna grab the paints for me while I get the water cups? Then you can tell me what happened this time," she adds, knowing her coworker and friend will probably be eager to spread any gossip.

When she returns with the cups, the paints are already in place and Cynthia is working on setting out cups with brushes before putting out the crayons, markers, and colored pencils. As they both lean in to put things towards the center of the table, where they're less likely to tip, the other woman doesn't disappoint her. "It was Antony," she murmurs, cheeks pinking prettily. Meredia worries her lower lip at the mention of Cynthia's boyfriend but nods as if eager to hear more. Inwardly, however, her heart sinks. She really doesn't want her mood to drop hearing another girl gush about their boyfriend... She can tell this is going to be a long afternoon and is thankful when a few of the awake children start wandering out of the nap room with their folded blankets so that she can honestly use it as an excuse to delay the inevitable.

 _It's not that I'm not happy for her,_ the redhead muses thoughtfully as she helps children put their things in the appropriate baskets. No, not that. But, if she is really being honest with herself, she _is_ jealous. She hasn't heard hide nor hair from the Devildom since the day she left. At first, she thought they must be busy. The student council always is, after all. But as days turned to weeks, her thoughts turned less and less pleasant. After all, they'd lived centuries without her. One year is just another blip in their lives. They have other things they are focusing on.

She should really do the same, shouldn't she? Sure, she'd gone straight back to the daycare and found her job waiting for her. Everyone was happy to have her back, and the teasing that they insisted she go to a _local_ school next year instead of taking some other far-off exchange program had eventually become unbearable. _I missed this_ , she reminds herself as she puts a basket on a high shelf for a child that can't quite reach it. _The kids, the teaching, my old friends... I missed them._ But it isn't _quite_ true. Because now that she is back, she realizes that she misses someone else far more than she'd ever thought to miss this life--several "someones," actually. But she can't focus on that now. She can't let herself. Now, she needs to pick herself up, dust herself off, and start all over again. She needs to figure out where she's going with her life. And she needs to change the music to something more upbeat so the last few kids will wake up and they can get to the next part of their day. She focuses on that for now. One day at a time. 

*****************************************************************************

Mammon tumbles from the circle with a muffled groan, quickly jumping to his feet in a crouch and glancing all around him. It is only after confirming that he is alone that he lets out a sigh of relief and straightens to start dusting himself off. Lucifer must have left for his mission immediately, and Mammon silently rolls his eyes. _Of course he would! Why were you so worried? He'd wanna get home as soon as he could to ruin any fun his brothers might manage to have in his absence._ Well, not **his** fun, damnit. Grinning cockily, one hand on his hip, he lowers the sunglasses down the bridge of his nose so he can survey the landscape. "Alright, now... if I was a stupid human, where would I be...?"

The Avatar of Greed snorts at that thought, shaking his head. "Nah, that won't work. Can't think like her. Okay, where wouldn't **_I_** wanna go, then? That's where she'll be. Yeah." Decision made, he nods to himself proudly, nudging his sunglasses back in place. He sets a leisurely pace as he starts walking towards the road he sees a little ways away. "This'll lead to whatever city's nearby, and then I'll track her down, no sweat!" He just really, really hopes that this circle let out anywhere even remotely NEAR their human's actual home. The human world is a big place... With a brief scowl, Mammon pushes this thought from his mind. He will find her. End of story. She'll be there. And he'll... what then? With a grunt and a flush to his cheeks he chooses to completely ignore, he decides he'll figure that out AFTER he finds her. But it will probably include a lot of yelling about her leaving and not keeping in touch and possibly even about not taking proper care of hersel--him. Yeah, that's it.

As he reaches the shoulder of the road, the groan of a large engine makes him turn sharply to look behind him, seeing a monstrous 18-wheeler truck approaching. He vaguely remembers something Levi once said about "hitchhiking" and "sticking out a thumb" to get a free ride. Free, one of his favorite words! With a cocky grin, he gives a thumbs up to the truck as it passes. The driver pulls a chain and Mammon jumps back from the curb at the sound of the horn coming from the giant vehicle. "W-well fine then, asshole!" he shouts after the retreating truck, which never even bothers to slow. "I don't need your fuckin' ride!"

He then looks down at his hand, curling his fingers into another thumbs up, this time holding it out and turning it from side to side quizzically while thinking, _Did I do it wrong?_ Another grumbling engine approaches, this one a pickup truck, and Mammon doesn't even bother looking up. At the sight of his hand and outstretched thumb, however, the beat-up truck pulls to the curb, slowing until it is just a few feet away from him. A shaggy head of hair leans out the driver's side window to look at Mammon. "Where're ya goin', slicker?"

Mammon frowns, not understanding the nickname, but shrugs it off with a wave of his hand to the road ahead of the truck. Beyond that, he's not really sure what to say. When he doesn't answer beyond that gesture, the man spits out the window and gives him a once over. "I'm just goin' 'ta the next town up ahead, no further, but you can come with if ya want." Dumbstruck, Mammon just nods. It wasn't like he could just come out and say 'I'm looking for my human and I have no idea where she is but I'm going to try that town you just suggested.' "Yeah," he mutters, reaching for the door handle and climbing up into the equally beat up and torn faux leather seats. "Thanks." He really hopes this has him going the right way...

***************************************************************************************************

To his credit, at least Lucifer knows where he is going. He'd not really paid much attention to where he let the circle drop him in the human world, but he was pretty sure this was near the city that they'd pulled their human exchange student--no, Meredia, he hasn't called her 'human' for some time now--from and where she has probably returned. He doesn't need any city in particular for this mission, so it really doesn't matter, but he supposes he must have been thinking of her when he gave the authorization to open the circle. With a sigh, he shakes his head. _I can't go galavanting around in the human world looking up an exchange student I have no right to bother now that they're no longer part of the Devildom. I need to focus and get back home before things **really** get out of hand._ Respite or no, he still has a job to do.

That thought fresh on his mind again, he allows his wings to gracefully unfurl. This far from society, he shouldn't be seen as long as he's quick. A single beat of those wings gets him airborne and he shoots up to the clouds, finding it the easiest way to conceal his presence. Once he finds an appropriate graveyard, then he'll have to be careful to wait until it's empty before descending, but that should be manageable. Of course, time spent flying through the clouds for this long leaves him with little more to do but think, and his thoughts wander again to Meredia and how the human world has been treating her since her return...


	3. The Roads We Travel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way." - Carl Sagan

The ride in the beat-up truck thus far has been nothing but awkward for Mammon. The human drives without striking up any conversation, which isn't so bad really, but every now and again the man will give a thoughtful 'humm,' nod to himself with a soft 'yep', or spit out the open window. It isn't until about an hour after the trip starts that the Avatar of Greed catches the other man looking at him sidelong and finally snaps. "You gotta problem?" he asks through a growl, tipping down his sunglasses with one hand to glare at the driver.

He means it to be intimidating, of course, but when the driver turns his eyes back to the road with a little shrug before answering, it's clear the man isn't fazed. "Dunno," the man drawls, taking a moment to spit out the window again before continuing. "M'tryin' ta figure if I gotta runaway or a fugitive in mah truck, s'all."

"A runna--" Mammon stutters, shaking his head in disbelief. "Ya think I'm a fuckin' runaway?" His hand falls from the frames, letting the glasses stay low on the bridge of his nose as his blue-black eyes stare incredulously over them. "A runaway?" he asks again, as though the man can't hear him.

The reiteration earns him another quick sidelong glance. "Mmmhm," the man confirms, drawing out the sound unnecessarily. There's a pause, but before Mammon has a chance to react again, the man sniffs loudly. "Or a fugitive," he concedes.

At this reminder, the demon loses his cool completely, eyes blazing and horns slowly rising from his skull. "A FUGITIVE?!?" Mammon all but roars this, hands clenched into fists at his side. "OF ALL THE--" And he stops, for the man beside him is now guffawing and slapping the steering wheel with one palm. The human never once looks his way and the momentary confusion cools his head enough for Mammon to gain some modicum of control over himself, forcing back the shift--he doesn't think his wings will fit in this car thing anyway--before the driver ever bothers to look his way.

Through his laughter, the human wipes a tear from the corner of one eye before returning the hand to the steering wheel. "Notta fugitive then, sure 'nuff." The man thumps his palm on the steering wheel with another chuckle, shaking his head. "A'ight, lissen 'ere, kid. Ain't gonna tell 'ya ya gotta go back." The man turns his head just barely to look directly at Mammon for just a moment before focusing on the road once more. "But I knowa place tha," he resumes as if there wasn't a demon silently bristling in the passenger seat of his truck.

Mammon doesn't let him finish. "DO YA KNOW WHO I AM, HUMAN?" It isn't a roar now, but the anger in his voice conveys itself sufficiently nonetheless. "I am THE Mammon, not some fuckin' runaway human child for y--"

This time, it is the demon's turn to be cut off as their rally continues. "Well," the man drawls, "nice ta meetcha, THE Mammon." He carefully stresses "the," preventing his accent from clipping the word. "Name's Earl Jessup, but e'ryun jus' calls meh Jessup." The cabin falls silent as the Avatar of Greed stares open-mouthed at the driver, taken aback by the man's blithe demeanor.

Eventually, the gears begin to turn again and Mammon sits up straighter, his tone defensive, but much softer now. "Yanno," he begins, dragging the phrase out as he tries to put his thoughts into words that would be appropriate in this ridiculous situation. "I'm not a runaway," he finishes lamely. He quickly amends that statement, "Or a kid, for that matter!" His tone shifts from defensive to downright surly at that. With a huff, he shoves the sunglasses fully in place to hide his eyes, folds his arms over his chest like a hurt child, and turns to look out the front windshield.

The driver remains silent for a time, the only sounds in the truck the constant churn and bump of bad tires on tarmac. Eventually, two of his fingers begin tapping a soft, distracted rhythm on the steering wheel. Mammon rolls his eyes heavenward at the sound, then thinks better of it and shuts them tight, shaking his head. When the human speaks again, all humor has left his voice. "Then yu'll be lookin' for somethin'. Or some'un."

The sudden gravity of the man's tone causes Mammon to shift in his seat, posture slipping as his elbows droop. The man has him, there. The demon's anger flees him all in a rush as he breathes out the word. "Some'u--" he coughs into his hand and tries again, "someone."

**********************************

White suffuses his vision, making it impossible for Lucifer to see where he is going. Somehow he continues forward, a dark figure slicing through the clouds. He doesn't have a specific destination in mind, merely a general one: the edge of town. Most large towns have at least one graveyard at their outskirts, so it's a safe enough assumption, and these are usually the ones that receive the least late-afternoon visitors. If he's lucky, he'll find what he's looking for and can return to the Devildom in short order. If he's not, well, he may be here longer than he'd like...

He scoffs at the thought. _He actively **wants** me to be here for a long time. It's why he planned this to begin with._ Dark wings beat once, bringing him higher to coast along an updraft and ride the currents of air. Such travel can be relaxing, he must admit, when there is little to think of than the next cloud. Even the destination becomes an unimportant thing, allowing his mind to wander. He closes his eyes--whether for just a moment or some longer span he does not seem to care--and sighs heavily, the exertion of his body coming as subconsciously as a fish might swim. _Why **does** he want me away at such a time? There's still far too much tension with the angelic host since Simeon and Luke returned to give their report._

Lucifer resists the urge to shake his head at the thought, knowing better than to make such a movement when flying at speed. Instead, he lets a puff of frustrated air escape his pursed lips. He can't think of that, now... or that Solomon is the **only** exchange student staying in contact with the Devildom since the school year ended. No, he certainly shouldn't dwell on **that** wonderful little fact. _And yet, here I am..._ Even the demon does not know if his thought refers to his dwelling on the subject or being in the human world on an errand.

**********************************

Meredia leans, bent over double, with her elbows folded on the windowsill and her chin resting lightly on her forearms. The muffled sounds of children playing filter in, occasionally overpowering the radio that Cyn turned on before taking the children outside to burn off their excess energy. The young woman watches her coworker wrangle and encourage children for a minute before letting her eyelids flutter shut. With a soft groan, she allows her head to drop forward, forehead now against her arms, hair cascading forward on one side like a curtain. She stands like this, letting the music wash over her, trying--and failing--not to think about what Cynthia brought up during snack time.

The blond is right, of course: She can't wait forever to make a decision. When school starts again, she'll be a Junior. She'll have to start looking into colleges, thinking about scholarships, and figuring out what place she wants to make for herself in the world. But... _How can I make that kind of decision?!?_ A soft whine escapes her and she frees one arm from the sill to grasp the edge with curling, perfectly manicured fingers, never lifting her head. Fingers, she absently recalls, that have been painted the same color for the past month, as she couldn't bring herself to change the color that Asmodeus so carefully chose for her.

As her mind begins to wander once more to the Devildom and those she left behind, the next song comes on the radio. At first, it's just background noise to the distraught young woman, but as the chorus hits she can't help but lift her head fractionally, eyes opening in thoughtful surprise.

'Cause I am barely breathing  
And I can't find the air  
I don't know who I'm kidding  
Imagining you care  
And I could stand here waiting  
A fool for another day  
I don't suppose it's worth the price  
It's worth the price, the price that I would pay

Her eyes shift from side to side as the lyrics continue. She pushes herself into a standing position and away from the window, fingertips pressed to her lips as she takes in the words. Somehow, this random song seems to hit home far more strongly than anything that Cynthia has said or, in truth, even her family and other friends. Because they don't know. None of them know much about the past year she spent 'studying abroad at boarding school.' How could she tell them, after all? No, no one knows the truth of things, though Meredia has a feeling Cyn has some mundane suspicions about boys and romance that may not be entirely off the mark.

And everyone keeps asking, "What's it all about?"  
I used to be so certain and I can't figure out  
What is this attraction?  
I only feel the pain  
There's nothing left to reason and only you to blame  
Will it ever change?

Slowly, she lowers herself onto a chair at a table, now cleared of craft supplies, brown paper, and afternoon snack debris. _Will it ever change...?_ These feelings of emptiness, longing, and loss? Her dreams of returning to the Devildom and being welcomed with open arms? The hurt she's holding inside, forcing herself to ignore, at the silence from literally everyone she has grown so close to over the past year? The things they had said to her that final day seemed so sincere, so genuine. Heart clenching in her throat, she worries her lower lip as the words come back to her, unbidden.

'Cause I am barely breathing  
 _You're special to me, Meredia.  
 **Really special, in a way that no one else is.**_

And I can't find the air  
 _You changed me, Meredia. You taught me how to feel things other than anger.  
So can you really blame me for not wanting you to go?_

I don't know who I'm kidding  
 _If you ever get lonely sleeping by yourself at night, just summon me, okay? I'll be there in a flash. You can count on it.  
Then I'll wrap my arms around you and hold you until the break of dawn, kissing you over and over..._

Imagining you care  
 _...Up to now, I always felt like I was hungry for something. I'd eat and eat and eat, but I still wasn't satisfied, so I'd eat more.  
But when I'm with you, it's like that hunger is suddenly gone. For once I feel strangely satisfied._

And I could stand here waiting  
 _Even if you weren't Lilith's descendant, it wouldn't have mattered. I still would've been attracted to you.  
_ _I love you, Meredia. I love you, and I always will._

A fool for another day _  
_ _And when you do visit again... we'll have to pick back up where we left off last night._  
 _Because there's still so much you could learn from me, so much I'd like to reveal._

I don't suppose it's worth the price  
 _It's weird, ya know? Thinkin' that I won't get to see you anymore...  
I can't even remember what the Devildom was like before you came along..._

It's worth the price, the price that I would pay  
 _With you gone, I'll have nothin' to do! It'll be real boring!  
Which is why I'm gonna have to go see you in the human world! That's right, you'll be gettin' a visit from THE Mammon._

Tears paint trails down her cheeks, unnoticed. Meredia stares into her empty palms, eyes distant, as she remembers every word. She just can't believe that everything they said was an act. _Belphie. Beel. Asmo. Satan. Levi. Mammon. Lucifer._ She shakes her head slowly. _Mammon_. He said he would visit her, but he hasn't even responded to her messages. None of them have. She had even tried, on a particularly bad night, to summon Asmo--an offer she had not intended to take him up on when she left--to no avail, though she didn't particularly expect that to work in the first place. After all, she had only ever summoned him once before, and that was using Solomon's borrowed power.

But I'm thinking it over anyway  
I'm thinking it over anyway

And what about Solomon, for that matter? He'd messaged her shortly after she'd returned, asking her to keep in touch. Yet even he isn't responding to her messages anymore. Sucking her lower lip between her teeth, her expression turns more thoughtful. Simeon and Luke aren't responding to messages, either. Granted, she half wonders if they had been allowed to keep their DDDs after giving their reports, but surely the angels weren't **that** tight-laced, right? Yes, she certainly needs to think things over...

I've come to find  
I may never know  
Your changing mind  
Is it friend or foe?  
I rise above  
Or sink below  
With every time  
You come and go  
Please don't  
Come and go

Have they all just changed their minds and lost interest in her? Is it really that simple? _No, no I can't think that way!_ No matter what her mind tries to tell her, her heart says otherwise. Sure, they had all had their moments. Mammon runs hot and cold at the flip of the switch, but she can always recognize that particular flush in his cheeks and the way he can't seem to make eye contact when he's flustered. That wasn't staged. Why would he? But then... why?

'Cause I am barely breathing  
And I can't find the air  
I don't know who I'm kidding  
Imagining you care  
And I could stand here waiting  
A fool for another day  
I don't suppose it's worth the price  
It's worth the price, the price that I would pay

But I'm thinking it over anyway  
I'm thinking it over anyway

And I know what you're doin'  
I see it all too clear

Except she doesn't. She doesn't see what they're doing at all, not any of them. There has to be a **reason** , but she can't begin to think of one. Meredia digs the heels of her hands into her eyes, rubbing furiously at the unexpected wetness there. How long has she been sitting here, crying? Releasing a shaky breath, she dabs at her cheeks with the back of her hand, knowing she must look a mess at this point. The song on the radio faded away before melding harmoniously into the next melody, but she has already tuned it out. It isn't what anyone was truly asking of her, no, but at least she knows what she needs to do next. It's figuring out how to do it that's going to be the problem... because she can't decide anything else in her life until she resolves **this**. And to do that, she has to find a way to contact the Devildom. Somehow...

Her eyes close as she makes to stand, taking in a steadying breath. The decision seems to give her a much-needed resolve, grounding her. She can do this. She doesn't have the slightest idea of **how** she'll do it, but she **must** find a way. Her hand lifts to run along the top of her head, smoothing down her hair in frustration. While she has to figure this out, she also needs to get some work done. The children are out playing now, but eventually, they'll come in and she will have to have their next activity set up and ready to go. As she moves towards the supply cubby for the necessary materials, though, the door to the playground creaks open and Cynthia's voice, laced with a mix of confusion and concern, causes her to spin on her heel. "Meredia, you'd better come out here and take a look at this..." Well, the setup will just have to wait, it seems...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song lyrics used in this chapter are from: Barely Breathing by Duncan Sheik  
> Official Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-oh-tP6RvA
> 
> I'm sorry for the wait, everyone! I had some bad writer's block, but hopefully this chapter will make up for the wait and be worth it! I think I'm on a roll again, now. <3


End file.
